Image of the Beast [VHS]
by Donald W. Thompson

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Category: VHS Video
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VHS Movie Reviews of Image of the Beast [VHS]

Movie Review: Enough to Scare the Crap out of you.
Summary: 4 Stars

Movie Review: In Response to Tonex
Summary: 5 Stars

Revelation 20:4
"And I saw the thrones, and they that sat upon them, and judgement was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."

The part of this verse that refers to Patty's situation is "for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God". This refers to Christians who were saved in the tribulation. It does not refer to a person who just simply ran from the Antichrist and refused to take the "mark". Anyone can do that and still refuse to accept Jesus as the Lord of their life. I think we see in this scene just how selfish and rebellious Patty still is. She WILL NOT allow Jesus to be the boss of her life, even in a time of trouble and terror.

I'm still a big fan of the Thief in the Night series....

Movie Review: scaring the bejeezus outta ya
Summary: 1 Stars

Movie Review: A real dissertation of I.O.T.B.
Summary: 5 Stars

The opening sequence was the most powerful to me. It focuses on a UPC bar Code on the back of some grocery product. This shot was key because the producers were fortelling what was to come. You have to remember that when this film was produced (1981) bar codes were still relatively new and not on all products. Now in 2001 we all have bar codes everywhere including on us.

They also focus earlier than that on computers and how they would take over the world. Back then the saints didn't understand how much computers would be involved in our everyday lives.

I was 6 years old when I first saw this film on 16mm at church. My father first introduced the series with A Thief in the Night then it's sequel A Distant Thunder. Both in which Patty Dunning did an excellent Job. But NONE could compare to her short but genius performance in IOTB.

The guillotine sequence is where we find Patty getting slapped by Jerry to hopefully drive some sense into her. The FAMOUS theme music to these films RAGE out " duh-duh-duh-duhn..d-d-d-duhn " that music to this day scares the mess out of me.

The way that Patty resists going to the guillotine and squeels was excellent. Especially when they started to lay her down she was shaking and crying hysterically. All of this made this scene so authentic.

But the key was when she was strapped about to go through with the execution , the skies turn pitch black and an EARTHQUAKE rips through the foundation where the guillotine stood with Patty still in it.

Something like this in a Christian film in 1981 to a 6 year old was TERRIFYING. Nothing before or since this sequence HAD EVER been done before. The rapture films of today are too polite. Mark IV pictures told the truth an scared literally the HELL out of you.

The trip in this scene is the fact that Patty confesses openly that she now wants the mark...over and over again while the guillotine is shaking but no one cares about her, they just left her by herself.

Suspense builds as you get several veiws of Patty's position and the Blade slowly about to slip off the hook. Excellent choice of string scoring throughout this sequence because the strings accentuate the feeling of panic and urgency to get free from the straps that held Patty down.

Finally, the blade slips off - Patty's shrieking screams send chills down your spine and an awesome first person perspective shot of the blade coming down makes you feel like you're in it with her and CUT to BLACK.

I remember the church screaming in shock that this was actually being shown in the dark. Some of the members requested to have some of the lights turned on because they were scared. I cupped my ears after that and was too afraid to watch it until maybe 7 years later on VHS

I thought that the rest of the film could have been scarier though. After three films we finally lost PATTY and honestly after that the series lost it's punch to me.

I still continue to show this opening sequence to people all the time and I get the same reaction I got when I was six....TERROR.

After I show the sequence I ask the question "Did Patty go to hell because of her open confession of wanting the mark ? " OR " Did God still honor it because she really only said it due to the fact that she was frigthened by the quake ? "

Movie Review: END TIMES ARE COMMING!
Summary: 5 Stars

Drama Video

• Genres
• Special Interests > Religion & Spirituality
• Drama